Port of Montreal using AI again to optimize its logistics operations

Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the Port of Montreal will be able to benefit from a new predictive tool that optimizes port logistics, letting the Port improve its operational planning and positively impact the transit times for containerized cargo in the supply chain, especially for rail freight.

Daniel Dagenais, Vice-President, Operations at the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), stated: “This project is another critical milestone towards the ‘Smart Port’ vision we are implementing. It will benefit all stakeholders involved in the chain by reducing cargo delays and transit time while maximizing throughput to our major logistics hub.”

This AI solution aims to optimize freight train planning based on variables such as ship arrivals, rail car deliveries, storage capacity, workforce availability and more to achieve optimal fluidity.

The project is headed by the MPA in partnership with terminal operators Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership and Termont Montreal Inc., as well as with EI Systems and Canscan. It was developed in collaboration with IVADO Labs, a startup specializing in the development of AI solutions with unique expertise in logistics.

This is the second project benefiting the MPA and funded by the Government of Canada through Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence AI (Scale AI), an investment and innovation cluster that accelerates the application of artificial intelligence for supply chains. It is noteworthy that last May, the Port of Montreal partnered in a project that makes it possible to use AI to accelerate the handling of goods deemed “critical” in the current COVID-19 pandemic.